Manifolding assembly



April 23, 1940. E. B. oTls MANIFOLDING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 30, 1939Patented Apr. 23, 194i) unites STATES MANTFOLDING ASSEIWBLY Erial B.Otis, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Wallace Press, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application August 30,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding assemblies and particularly tothose of the continuous web type designed for use in Various forms ofwriting machines equipped with feeding devices having pins for engagingmarginal apertures in the webs for accurate feeding of the same to andfrom the printing position.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved form offastening of the superw posed webs that will permit of relative flatwiseshifting of one sheet with respect to another as they pass over thefeeding devices, so that the different layers will readily adjustthemselves to the pins of the feeding devices regardless of if differentdegrees of expansion or contraction of the layers of paper and of theshifting due to passage of the web around a roller or due to the foldingof the pack when it is zig-zag folded to form a pack.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of the fasteningmeans with respect to the weakened severance lines so that when theforms have been written upon they can be readily detached from the stripin form length packs and separated from the interleaved transfer strips.

Other objects and a more complete understanding of the invention may behad from the following description of an illustrative embodiment shownin the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a manifolding form pack of thecontinuous traveler web type.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the assembly with variouslayers broken away to disclose features of the underlying sheets, thisView being taken in the vicinity of the binding margin.

Fig. 3 is likewise a fragmentary view of the assembled webs broken awayat successively different points to show the relation of the sheets attheir opposite margin.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the arrangement of thebinding stitches with respect to the punched apertures which looselyaccommodate the threads.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail taken on the line 55of Fig. 2 and indicating in an exaggerated way a suitable type ofstitching and indicating how the sheets might shift relatively to eachother.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged top view illustrating a specific type of stitchingin relation to the aforesaid enlarged apertures.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the same.

1939, Serial No. 292,635

In the form shown in the drawing, the manifolding pack is of the type inwhich a plurality of traveler strips or webs of paper are assembled oneabove the other in manifolding relation with interleaved strips ofcarbon paper and then zigzag folded into convenient lengths to form apack. Usually the uppermost strip, upon which the ribbon-record isimprinted by typewriting machine or upon which the written notations aremade by hand as in the case of autographic registers, is thicker and ofbetter quality of paper than the underlying copy sheets and theinterleaved transfer sheets, or carbons, which latter may be of verythin material, especially when used in connection with forms of suchsize that the transfer strips are not intended for reuse.

In certain large forms the carbon strips are of such size that whensub-divided into form lengths and separated from the record and copyforms they will be capable of repeated use for other purposes such asordinary typewriting operation.

The topmost strip I and the copy strips 2 will be herein referred to asrecord strips or webs. These are usually printed as blank forms withappropriate headings, guide lines and other indicia for guiding theoperator of the machine or typewriter in which the form is to be usedand the forms are printed one after another along the webs and thencollated so that the printed matter on the record registers accuratelywith the printed matter on the record copy sheets, and so that thetransfer sheets 3 will be properly interleaved between the record andcopy sheets. Each web is sub-divided by transverse lines of severance 4and when the sheets are properly collated these lines of severance ofthe various layers will register with each other exactly so that padsincluding all of the layers can be torn off as a unit on the linesrepresenting the ends of the form lengths and so that the whole pluralply pack can be folded on the lines A alternately back and forth to forma zig-zag folded pack such as is shown in'Fig. 1.

In certain types of machines, herein generally referred to as pin feedmachines, the forms are fed by sprocket-like wheels, alining racks, orbelts provided with pins formed to engage apertures in the forms and thetraveler strips are provided in one or both of their longitudinalmarginal edge portions with a series of holes 5 that are accuratelyspaced for engagement with the pins of the feeding device. These holesare in all of the plies and register with each other depthwise of thepack.

It is important that the various plies of record and copy sheets be keptin accurate registration with each other so that the writing or printingthat is later applied to the record form by hand or by the typewritingmachine will appear in proper relation to the form material on the copysheets. Obstacles that have to be overcome in such manifoldingassemblies are the difierent amounts of expansion and contraction ofdiiferent materials under changes of atmospheric conditions which maycause the different plies or layers to expand and contract unevenly;also, the folding of the multiple layered pack whereby the folds ofcertain sheets must be ac commodated within the folds of others causes aslight relative shifting between the different layers at each fold. Ofcourse, the zig-zag folding largely compensates for this latter cause ofdisplacement because the web that is outermost on one fold will beinnermost on the next fold and so on alternately.

In order to maintain the strips of the multiple layered pack in properregistration regardless of the amount of handling that the multiplex webundergoes in its passage from its storage position to the writingposition in the machine in which it is used, the strips are boundtogether along one of their longitudinal margins by stitching 6 formedof thread and extending continuously from form to form throughout theentire length of the webbing. The thread stitching 6 is, however, ofsuch character that it can be applied so as to permit a certain amountof yielding of the difierent layers flatwise with respect to each otherdue to conditions imposed upon them by the feed mechanism of the machine or conditions arising from diiferent degrees of expansion andcontraction of the different layers. To this end also the apertures orperforations 1 through which the stitching extends from one side to theother of the pack are die punched to a size substantially larger than isrequired by the thread and the needle, by which the stitching is appliedand in this manner provision is again made for a certain amount ofrelative flatwise shifting of the various plies of the pack.

A suitable form of stitching is shown in Figs. 6 and '7. In this formthe thread 9 which appears on the upper side of the pack is carriedthrough the apertures 1 by the needle of the sewing machine in the formof a loop or bight and a second thread H] carried by the looper isintertwined with the successive loops or bights 9.| of the thread 9,whereby those bights 9.l are pulled along the bottom of the pack towardthe next succeeding aperture 1 by a bight or loop I01 which is passedthrough one loop 9.! and runs around or receives the next succeedingloop 91 as indicated in Fig. '7. By controlling the tension on thethreads during the sewing operation, the stitching is made suflicientlyloose to admit of the desired amount of flatwise movement of the sheetswith respect to each other as to properly compensate for any movementarising from the folding of the sheets on their transverse lines ofseverance i and such other movement as may be required throughengagement of the feed pins of the machine with the holes which in turnassure proper registration of the original record with its copies as itpasses through the writing position on the machine.

Preferably the forms are separated from the marginal portions whichserve as feed bands and binding stubs by means of a longitudinal line ofseverance l2 which extends along parallel with the row of stitching andwith the feed holes 5. In certain types of narrow forms equipped withone-time carbon paper the longitudinal line of severance l2.l shown inFig. 2 may be omitted from the carbons or transfer sheets so that whenthe feed band stub l i is severed from a form length pack of recordsheets it will strip the carbons from between the record and copysheets. In other wider sizes of records it is preferable to have thecarbon sheets provided with a line of severance l2.l registering withthe line of severance 12 of the record sheets, so that when the feedstub is torn ofi the carbons of the respective form length are also tornfree from the stub in one operation.

Preferably in both of the hereinbefore described instances, the marginsof the sheets that are opposite the binding stub should be offset sothat the carbons or transfer sheets terminate some distance inward fromthe marginal edges of the record sheets, thus providing a place wherethe record sheets can be gripped without gripping the carbons. When thecarbons are not provided with lines of severance [2.1, they will readilybe stripped from their place between the record sheets if in performingthe tearing operation the operator grips the free marginal portion ofthe record sheets. In the other instance where the carbons and recordsare severed from the stubs simultaneously in the act of severing therecords, if the operator grips the free margin of the record sheetsalone, a snap of the hand will throw the carbons out from their positionbetween the record sheets.

It will be readily seen that the thread stitching applied in the mannerdescribed produces a neat pack that holds the strips in their properlycollated relation and yet admits of the desired degree of slightmovement of the individual sheets to allow them to accommodatethemselves to the adjusting action of the feed pins of the machine inwhich they are used and thus prevents the slight discrepancies arisingfrom folding of the sheets or from expansion and contraction of thematerial from having a cumulative effect as successive forms passthrough the machine. If desired the threads of the stitching may beinterrupted at the transverse lines of severance or they may becontinuous throughout the entire length of the strips of webbing. Thislatter arrangement avoids the annoyance of unravelling of the chainstitching at these points of severance. If the stitching is continuousit is not necessary to sever it each time a form length pack is removedfrom the assembly, because such form pack can be first severed from itsstub and then torn off on the transverse line of severance at its end orvice versa without necessitating the separation of the stub portionsfrom each other on these transverse lines.

If the particular machines for which the forms are designed are equippedwith feed devices on both sides of the strips, then the feed band whichis distant from the stub band may also be provided with longitudinalweakened lines of severance as indicated at Id, these lines of severanceIt being preferably located so as to register with each other and withthe corresponding marginal edges of the transfer strips. The feed bandsIt are torn from the body portions of the record sheets after thecarbons have been stripped out, as aforesaid.

In automatic writing machines such as are used in teletype work, thecontinuous thread stitching is especially trouble free because itrequires no attention from an operator and the forms do not need to besevered from the assembly individually as written. In certain uses thefeed bands are automatically severed from the traveler strips as theyleave the writing machine and are fed to a form separator or deleaverwhich separates and refolds the record and transfer strips in separatestacks. The record stacks are then fed to a bursting machine which tearsthe record lengths apart on the transverse severance lines.

A further advantage of the thread stitching as a fastening means is thefact that it does not injure the platen of the machine and is free fromsmall metal pieces such as staples which might Work free and fall intoand injure the mechanism of the writing machine.

For certain uses where it is desired to sever the individual form lengthpacks after the typewriting operation and keep their unit assemblyintact for further operations or manifolded notations, it is desirableto cut the threads at each transverse severance line. In suchassemblies, provision is made against unravelling of the chain stitchingat both sides of such thread breaks by applying a disc or spot I 5 ofadhesive material at the intersection of the stitching 6 with eachtransverse line of severance 4 so as to cement the threads to thelowermost web at both sides of the severance line. The disc of adhesive,threads and webs are then severed locally by a cut l8 on each line ofseverance 4.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention is herein shownand described, it will be understood that various details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a continuous web manifolding assembly, a plurality of superposedwebs, a row of thread stitching extending longitudinally of the webs andbinding them together, one of said webs having a row of die punchedapertures through which said stitching threads pass and said aperturesbeing substantially larger in diameter than is required for thestitching threads to permit said one web to shift fiatwise relative toother webs.

2. In a continuous web manifolding assembly, a plurality of superposedwebs, a row of thread stitching extending longitudinally of the webs andbinding them together, said webs having registering rows of aperturesthrough which said stitching threads pass and each of said aperturesbeing die-punched and having a diameter substantially larger than isrequired for the stitching threads to permit relative fiatwise shiftingof said webs.

3. In a manifolding assembly for use with a machine having sheet feedingdevices, record sheets having a row of holes for simultaneous engagementwith the sheet feeding devices, an interposed transfer sheet, a row ofthread stitches extending along a marginal edge portion of said assemblyfor binding the sheets together, said transfer sheet having die-punchedapertures for said stitches considerably larger in diameter than thethreads of said stitches to permit relative shifting movement of saidsheets.

4. A manifolding assembly comprising a plurality of record traveler websand a transfer Web in superposed manifolding relation, each of saidrecord and transfer webs having a series of registering weakenedtransverse lines of severance for sub-dividing the assembly into Lmitaryform length packs, and said record and transfer webs having alongitudinal marginal line of binding stitches having threads securingtogether the webs in each pack, and certain webs having relatively largedie-punched apertures for said threads, whereby the respective webs insaid assembly are held together with limited freedom .of shiftingrelative to other Webs.

5. A manifolding assembly comprising a plurality-of record traveler websand a transfer web in superposed manifolding relation, each of saidrecord and transfer webs having a series of registering weakenedtransverse lines of severance for sub-dividing the assembly into unitaryform length packs, and said record and transfer webs having alongitudinal marginal line of binding stitches, said stitches being ofthread and extending across said transverse lines of severance, localcuts severing the threads at said lines of severance, and meansfastening the threads to one of the webs at each side of said transverseseverance lines.

6. A manifolding assembly comprising a plurality of record traveler websand a transfer Web in superposed manifolding relation, each of saidrecord and transfer webs having a series of registering weakenedtransverse lines of severance for sub-dividing the assembly into unitaryform length packs, and said record and transfer webs having alongitudinal marginal line of binding stitches, said stitches being ofthread and extending across said transverse lines of severance, localcuts severing the threads at said lines of severance, and a spot ofadhesive fastening the threads to one of the webs at each side of saidtransverse severance lines.

'7. A manifolding assembly comprising a plurality of record travelerwebs and a transfer web in superposed manifolding relation, each of saidrecord and transfer webs having a series of registering weakenedtransverse lines of severance for sub-dividing the assembly into unitaryform length packs, and said record and transfer webs having alongitudinal marginal line of binding stitches having threads passingthrough relatively large punched apertures in the webs, whereby therespective webs in said assembly are held together with limited freedomof shifting relative to other webs, said stitches being of thread andextending across said transverse lines of severance, local cuts severingthe threads at said lines of severance, and means fastening the threadsto one of the webs at each side of said transverse severance lines.

8. In a manifolding assembly for use with a machine having sheet feedingpins, superposed manifolding webs having a longitudinal row of marginalpin holes for engaging such pins, a line of binding thread stitchesextending parallel with said row of pin feed holes, said stitchingthreads having loose engagement with said webs to permit the webs toshift fiatwise relative to each other, said stitches being of thread andextending across said transverse lines of severance, local cuts severingthe threads at said lines of severance, and means fastening the threadsto one of the webs at each side of said transverse severance lines.

ERIAL B. OTIS.

